Aftermath
by Lisa Brown
Summary: Harm and Mac after she kills Sadik


Mac finally sits quietly in her apartment with a warm cup of tea after a long bath. It has been quite the night. It's not every day you kill the man that almost tortured you to death. And there were a million questions during debriefing so she is glad to finally be alone. Just as she eases against the couch, there is a knock at her door.  
  
Sighing deeply, she gets up and looks out the peephole. Her heart speeds up a bit with mixed emotion at the sight of the figure outside her door. Mac wants to ignore the knocking and the inevitable questioning, but Sarah wants to open the door and prays he takes her in his arms, allowing herself to be comforted. She stands there struggling within herself as yet another knock is heard.  
  
"Mac, its Harm."  
  
Finally she unlocks the door and motions for him to come in.  
  
"I had been debating for a while if I should come. Seeing you didn't call me to let me know what had happened I didn't know whether or not if I should. But then I just got in the car and well here I am."  
  
"It's not that I didn't want to tell you or anything I just wanted to get home and get cleaned up."  
  
"Are you ok?"  
  
"Why does everybody keep asking me that?" She asks agitated. "I am fine. I have a few bruises, but nothing that won't heal."  
  
"Mac, you went through a lot because of this man. And you fought for your life again tonight."  
  
"I am a Marine. I have been duly trained to handle myself in combat. It's not like I haven't been in dangerous circumstances before. Is it because I am a woman or an alcoholic that everybody assumes that I am going to have a break down or something?!" She snaps at him.  
  
"I guess this wasn't such a good idea." Harm says holding up his hands and backing away towards the door. "I can see you don't want to talk about it." He opens the door, "I'll see at the office in a couple days." He looks at her and she just stands there not saying anything, then he leaves.  
  
Sarah almost goes to the door and calls out to him. But Mac turns away from the door. The duel inside her boils over and she starts to cry. The tears give way to anger and she picks up a vase and throws it at the door. Then she picks up her tea mug and throws it too. She has become this tornado and wreaks havoc all across the room.  
  
Harm waits for the elevator and hears all the commotion going on. He turns and goes back to her apartment. He opens the door to see her in the middle of this tirade. She doesn't even notice that he has come back. She just keeps hitting and throwing and screaming until she drops into a sobbing heap in the floor. Harm walks over to her and gently touches her shoulder. Mac jumps up and away from him. She is clearly embarrassed to have him see her this way.  
  
"Mac, I didn't mean to startle you. I just heard all this noise and I .."  
  
"Just leave!!" She cuts him off and turns away.  
  
Harm turns to leave but instead he walks up behind her and puts his arms around her.  
  
"Sarah, it's alright to feel what you're feeling."  
  
She turns and looks at him. Momentarily, allowing herself to be warmed by his touch and the concern in his eyes. Then she pushes him away.  
  
"Thanks for coming back and checking on me. You can go now. I am fine, really."  
  
"I'm not going anywhere. You go into bed and I'll bunk out here."  
  
"Harm that isn't necessary, I just need some rest that's all."  
  
"Humor me. If the situations were reversed you would be telling me the same thing."  
  
"Alright, you can stay if it will get you off my back." She says, secretly relieved.  
  
Harm and Mac clean up the living room in relative silence. Then Mac goes to her room and Harm settles in on the couch for the night.  
  
Harm has a hard time getting to sleep. This couch definitely wasn't made for someone his size to sleep on. But he was just managing to drift off when he hears Mac screaming from the other room. He jumps up and runs into her bedroom.  
  
Mac is violently turning back and forth in her bed screaming, "NO! NO! NO!!"  
  
Harm goes over and sits down and takes her arms and calls out to her. "Mac, wake up." But she continues to struggle and he ducks a punch. "Mac," he raises his voice," Mac, wake up its Harm. You're dreaming."  
  
Mac begins to calms down and opens her eyes seeing Harm sitting on the edge of her bed. "What are you doing in here?"  
  
"You were having a nightmare. You were screaming when I came in and you almost decked me."  
  
Obviously embarrassed again, she gets up and goes to the bathroom. She closes the door and splashes some water on her face. Harm is still sitting on her bed waiting for her when she comes out.  
  
"I thought you might want to talk about it." He says.  
  
"No. I just rather try to go back to sleep."  
  
Harm sighs and goes back out to the living room couch.  
  
Mac gets back in bed and turns to face the window. No matter how much she doesn't want them to she can't help the tears from coming.  
  
Harm can hear her from the other room and he goes back in. He sits on the edge of her bed. And she just lays there and says nothing.  
  
"Sarah, let me hold you."  
  
Mac's final wall crumbles. Sarah turns and lets Harm draw her into his arms and he holds her close and she cries and cries. He doesn't say anything, he just holds her until she calms down again and he gets up to leave.  
  
"Please stay." She whispers.  
  
Harm gets in bed next to her and holds her the rest of the night. 


End file.
